Mail-bag catcher and deliverer.



F. B. KNOPP.

MAIL BAG CATCHER AND DELIVERER.

APPLlcATloN HLED JUNE 23. 1915.

1,154,323. Patented sept. 21, 1915.

n III: Tr---g-Ln @narran sfr mais rara FRED B; KNOPP, OF UNION CITY, OKLAHOMA.

MAIL-BAG CATCHER AND DELIVERER.

Specicaton of'L-etters Patent.

ratentea sept. ai, 1915.

Application filed J' une 23, 1915. SeralNo. 35,814.

To all whom t may concern v f Be it known that I, FRED B. Knorr, a cit1 zen of the United States, residing at Union City, in the county of Canadian and State of Oklahoma, have invented' certain new and useful .Improvements in Mail-Bag Catchers and Deliverers, of which'the following is a and froml moving trains with certainty and without tearing or mutilating the sacks.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a device of this character which is comparatively simple and inexpensive in its construction, which is posit-ive and reliable in its operation, which is not liable to get out of adjustment or repair, andwhich can be easily manipulated.

lVith these and other objects in view, the .v

invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements ofthe parts as will more yfully appear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed out in the appended claims. f

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a mail bag catching and delivering device constructed in accordance with the invention, showing thesame as applied to the side of a car and as swung upwardlyinto operative position. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the device as collapsed against the side of the car. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view onthe line 3-3 of Fig. 1, the device being shownby full lines in operative position and A'by dotted lines in inoperative position. Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the trap .door which is provided at the bottom of the mail bag delivering cage.

Corresponding `and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views ofthe drawing by the same reference characters. l

YReferring to the drawings,the reference character A designates a fragmentary portion of a side of a car which is provided with a door opening 1. Any conventional form of door may be provided forclosing this .door opening, and the said door opening is divided into two sections by an upright columnv2. Y A series of horizontally vdisposed rods 3 which have a spaced and substantially parallel relationvto each other are pivotally mounted within bearings 4 provided 'by crimped portions in upright strips 5 which aresecured to the column or post 2. The portions of the rods 3 between the spaced upright bearing strips 5 have crank members 6y rigidlyjapplied thereto, said crank members having their outer ends pivotally connected, as indicated at 7, to an upright bar 8 which is adapted to be moved up and down by means of'a hand lever 9 to rotate simultaneously all of the rods 3. Thev hand lever 9 is shown as extending through an opening 10 in the upright post 2 and pivotally mounted thereon at 11, the forward end of the hand lever having a pin and slot connection 12 with the extremity of the upright bar 8 while the inner end of the hand lever is adapted to be engaged by a suitable latch member 13 to lock the device in operative position.

One end of each of the horizontal bars 3 extends across the portion 1a of the door opening, and said ends of the rods are curved or deflected outwardly at 3a so that when swung upwardly they coperate with each other-to form a mail bag receiving cage which is open at the forward side thereof. The other end of each of the rods 3 extends across the portion 1b of the door opening, and the said ends are curved outwardly at 3 so thatwhen swung upwardly into opera-k tive position they coperate with each other to provide a mail bag discharging cage. The extremities of the ends 3b of the rods 3 are jourualed within bearings 14 provided by crimped portions in a bearing strip 15 which is secured to the jamb of the door frame l, the bearings 14 being in horizontal alinement with the respective bearings 4 of the bearing strips 5 applied to the central post 2 so that the horizontal rods 3 are free to-rotate in the bearings without any binding action. A

Vhen the rods 3 are rotated to swing the outwardly bent ends thereof upwardly into a horizontal plane, asindicated by Fig. 1,y

opening, while the curved-,ends 3b Aof the rods provide a mail sack discharging cage extending across the portionlb of the door opening. A bottom plate 16 is provided for the mail bag receiving cage, said vplate loe-` ing hinged at 17 to the side of the car and being connected' at its outer edge by suitlowermost rod 3.1

' cage,-said -bottom plate havingfthe inner able fastening means such as the binding wire 18 to the outwardly'bent enjd 3a of the A bottom plate 19 is also provided for"the mail sack discharging v edge thereof hinged at 20 to the side of the car and being `provided at its swinging edge with a pivotally mounted latch member 21 which is adapted to engage a hooked keeper 22 upon the outwardly curved portion 3b of the lowermost horizontal rod. The end ofthe swingingtrip lever 21 projects outwardly beyond the edgeoffthe trap door 19 so that it can be engaged'byra suitable trip member at the side of the track, suoli as the post of an ordinary mail crane 28. y Aspring 21n is connected to the trip leve -21 andnormallytends to swing the same into operative position, suitable stop 21b Y being provided to limit the swinging movement of the said lever under the action of the spring. 1t will alsorbe observed that the'end of the hooked keeper 22 is formed with a beveled 'nose 22% Withlthis construction it will be obvious that after the trip lever 21 has been disengaged from the keeper 22 and the trap door or bottom plate 19 permitted to drop so as Yto discharge a mail sack in the cage provided by the portions 3b of the horizontal rods, the trip leverY 21 can again'be brought into engagement with the hookedkeeper 22 by swinging the bars 3 downwardly and collapsingthe de- VIC@- keeper 22 will thenrengage the end of the trip lever 21 and swing the saine laterally against the action of the spring 21u a sufficientainount to admit of the trip lever entering the hooked keeper as soon as it clears the beveled nose 22a. The trap door or bot- V-tom plate 19` can thus be again brought upwardly intol operative position after being tripped, by manipulating thev hand lever 9 to rst collapse the device and then swing the rods outwardly in operative position.

. In the operation of the device, the mail sack B to be applied to the car would be suspended bythe usual ring 24; from one of the arms of the Tshaped head of the crane 23; A mail sack disengaging hook25 is .applied totheframe ofthe door opening ,v

, l1, andthe end of Ythis hook is designed to jengage the ring 241 of the mail sack and slide c the same from the arm of the crane 2,3 withl vout itself entering the ring. 'As the car passes the crane 23 the ring 24 of the-mail sack is thus disengaged from the crane by the 'u action of thev hook memberY 25, with the result that the mail sack drops rearwardly The beveled nose 22a of vthe hookedr -outwardly into operative position.

into themail receiving cage, from which it ,can be readily grasped and pulled into the car. LThe positionof the mail sack B while being caught and dropping into the mail sack receiving cage is indicated .by dotted .lines on Fig. 1." As the car passesY the crane 23 the latter will also engage the projecting end of `the trip lever 21 so as to swing the same rearwardly away from the hooked keeper 22.Y The trap door or bottomplate 19 then swings downwardly byth'e Y'action of gravity so as to discharge a mail sack C previously placed within thev mail; discharge cage. When the device Yis notjin use theportions 3a Vand 3b of the rods 3 can be swung downwardly and collapsed againstthe side of the car, although by manipulating the hand lever 9 the Adevice can be swiftly swung upwardly into operative position'. IThe latch 13'will then hold the device securely in operative position until itm'aybe desiredto collapse the Ysame again. Y y

vHaving thus describedthe invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by'Letters Patent, is

- 1. A device of die Character; described ia' cluding a collapsible cage constructedto be mounted upon theY side of a car and formed of a series of spaced and transversely disposed bars, bearings within which the bars are journaled, said bars having corresponding portions thereof bent laterally for coperation with each other to form a cage when swung outwardly, `and means for simultaneously rotating the bars'to collapse thelaterally bent portions thereof against the car or swing them outwardly into operative position. f Y p l v 2. Aldeviceof the character described including a collapsible cagefadapted to be mounted Yupon the side of a car and formed of a series of spaced andtransversely disposed bars, bearings within which the bars are journaled, said bars having .corresponding portions thereof deflected laterally for coperation with` each other to provide a cage when swung outwardly into operative uposition, crank arms rigid with the bars, anV

upright bar engaging the several crank arms, and means for moving the upright bar to rotate simultaneously all of the transverse bars and swing the outwardly deflected portions thereof against theY side of theY car or mounted upon the side of a car and formed' of a series of spaced and transversely disposed bars, bearings within which the bars are journaled, said bars having corresponding portions thereof deflected laterally for coperation with each other to provide a cage when swung outwardly, means for si- `multaneously rotating all of the bars to collapse the laterally deflected portions thereof against the side of the car or swing them outwardly into operative position, a swinging trap door for the bottom of the cage, a trip lever upon the trap door, and a latch member upon the lowermost transverse bar of the cage for coperation with the trip lever to hold the trap door normally in a raised position.

5. A device of the character described including two upright series of corresponding bearings, spaced and transversely disposed bars journaled within the bearings, the portions of the bars between the bearings being deflected outwardly for coperation with each other to form a cage when swung outwardly into operative position, and the ends of the bars being extended beyond one set of bearings and correspondingly deiiected outwardly for coperation with each other to provide a second cage when swung outwardly, means for simultaneously rotating the bars to collapse the laterally deflected portions thereof or swing them outwardly into operative position.

6. A device of the character described including two vertical series of corresponding bearings, a series of spaced and transversely disposed bars journaled within the corresponding bearings and having the portions thereof between the two sets of bearings correspondingly deflected laterally for coperation with each other to form a cage when swung outwardly, said bars being extended beyond Vone set of the bearings and deflected laterally for coperation with each other to form a second cage when swung outwardly, means for simultaneously rotating the transverse bars to collapse the outwardly deflected portions thereof or swing them outwardly into operative position, a trap door for the bottom of the rst cage, a trip lever for the trap door, and a swinging bottom plate for the second cage connected to the lowermost transverse bar so as to swing therewith.

7. A device of the character described including two vertical series of corresponding bearings, a series of spaced and transversely disposed bars journaled within the bearings and having the portions thereof between the two sets of bearings correspondingly deflected laterally for coperation with each other to provide a cage when swung outwardly, the ends of the transverse bars being extended beyond one set of bearings and correspondingly defiected laterally for cooperation with each other to form a second cage when swung outwardly, swinging bottoms for the two cages arranged to swing as the lowermost transverse bar is rotated, crank arms rigid with the transverse bars, an upright bar operatively connected to the several crank arms, and means for moving the upright bar to rotate simultaneously all of the transverse bars and swing the outwardly deflected portions thereofA downwardly into inoperative position or outwardly into operative position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

y FRED B. KNOPP.

Witnesses:

D. P. RICHARDSON, CHARLEY F. KNOPP.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

